A young girl named Mary Frances and her brother Billy learn gardening through playful episodes in which anthropomorphic garden folk—roosters, fairies, and other helpers—explain soil preparation, planting seeds and bulbs, parts of flowers, pollination, pest remedies, and care for vegetables, annuals, perennials, and roses. Interwoven with the narrative are clear, practical instructions, lists of recommended plants for children, methods for making hotbeds, and a month-by-month outline to guide seasonal garden work.